In the junking of air conditioners such as are used in vehicles, it has been standard practice to allow the refrigerant to escape. Also, in preparation for carrying out repairs on an air conditioner it has frequently been the practice to vent the refrigerant therefrom. Such a practice is uneconomical. Moreover, it is now recognized that the introduction of refrigerant into the atmosphere can have serious consequences with respect to destruction of ozone in the atmosphere, ozone providing a shield against penetration of the atmosphere by ultraviolet rays which are known to be carcinogenic.
As aforenoted, refrigerant may be vented in preparation for discard or repair of air conditioners. When the air conditioner of a vehicle is to be repaired, the repair is carried out by an operator who is, at best, only semi-skilled in the processing of gases. Accordingly, if such an individual is to cope with a procedure for recovering the refrigerant from a vehicle, apparatus must be provided which requires only minimal supervision by an operator. The same consideration applies to recovery of refrigerant from other types of air conditioners whether about to be repaired or discarded. A further operation which such apparatus should carry out is the recharging of a repaired air conditioner, whether the air conditioner is or is not part of a vehicle such as an automobile or a truck. Accordingly, there is considerable need for such equipment.